Rose+Lefebre

On December 2, 1901, the body of 33-year-old Rose Lefebre was found in the Chicago apartment of Mary Volbending. It appeared that Rose had died the previous day from internal hemorrhage caused by an abortion.

Volbending was arrested, but she was later exonerated by a Coroner's Jury. However, the coroner's jury recommended that the Board of Health investigate Mrs. Volbending for advertising as a midwife without a license.

Note, please, that with issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good. For more about abortion and abortion deaths in the first years of the 20th century, see [|Abortion Deaths 1900-1909].

For more on pre-legalization abortion, see [|The Bad Old Days of Abortion] Sources:


 * [|Homicide in Chicago Interactive]
 * "Cleared of Blame for Woman's Death," Chicago Tribune, December 13, 1901

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